Chap. 170.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 1950 of the Code of Virginia.
as amended, relating to jurisdiction of juvenile and domestic relations courts so
as to broaden the jurisdiction in certain cases. [H 298]

Approved March 9, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section nineteen hundred fifty of the Code of Virginia, as
amended, be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 1950. Special justice, conservators of peace; their juris-
diction.—(a) The special justices elected under the provisions of this
chapter shall be conservators of the peace within the corporate limits
of the cities for which they are respectively elected and within one mile
beyond the corporate limits of such cities; and except as hereinafter
limited shall have, within the corporate limits, exclusive original juris-
diction and within one mile beyond the corporate limits, concurrent juris-
diction with the justices and the circuit courts of the counties, over all
cases, matters and proceedings involving :

(1) The disposition, custody or control of delinquent, dependent
and neglected children ;

(2) The enforcement of any law, regulation or ordinance for the
education, protection or care of children ;

(3) ‘The prosecution and punishment of persons charged with ill-
treatment, abuse, abandonment or neglect of children, or with contribut-
ing to their delinquency or dependency or neglect in any manner, or
with any other offense against children under the age of eighteen years
except murder and manslaughter; provided that in prosecutions for
felonies other than murder and manslaughter the jurisdiction of the
special justice shall be limited to that of an examining magistrate ;

(4) All offenses, except murder and manslaughter, committed by
one member of a family against another member of the family; and the
trial of all criminal warrants in which one member of a family is com-
plainant against another member of the family ; provided that in prosecu-
tion for felonies other than murder and manslaughter the jurisdiction
of the special justice shall be limited to that of an examining magistrate.
The word “family” as used herein shall be construed to include husband
and wife, parent and child, brother and sister, grandparent and grand-
child;

(5) The prosecution and punishment of persons, male or female,
who knowingly contribute in any way to the disruption of marital re-
lations of a home;

(6) Those cases in which the condition or situation of the child
is allowed to be such that its welfare demands adjudication as to its dis-
position, control and custody; provided that jurisdiction in such cases
shall be concurrent with, and not exclusive of, that of courts having
equity jurisdiction. oe

(b) The special justice shall, in all cases, possess the jurisdiction
and exercise all the powers conferred upon justices of the peace and
police justices by the laws of this State, and he shall have such other
powers and jurisdiction as may be lawfully conferred upon him. He
shall have the same powers with respect to the amendment or issuanc
of warrants as are conferred on courts and judges by the provisions o
section forty-nine hundred eighty-nine of the Code of Virginia.

(c) This act shall be construed liberally and as remedial in charac
ter; and the powers hereby conferred are intended to be general to effec
the beneficial purposes herein set forth. It is the intention of this ac
that in all proceedings concerning the disposition, custody or control «
children coming within the provisions hereof, the court shall procee
upon the theory that the welfare of the child is the paramount concer
of the State, and to the end that this humane purpose may be attainec
the justices shall possess all necessary and incidental powers and at
thority, whether legal or equitable in their nature.

(d) From the hearing or trial of all cases, matters or proceeding
under the provisions of this chapter there shall be excluded all persor
except officers of the court, attorneys and witnesses in the case, and th
accused or his relatives or guardian or custodian. Any hearing or tri
may be had in chambers.